Spider-Man: Homecoming May Prove Asgardian Religion

A newly uncovered Easter egg from Spider-Man: Homecoming seems to confirm a religion based around Asgard. Though Homecoming hasn’t even been in theaters for a week, it’s already proving to be a huge hit for Marvel and Sony. Thanks to Marvel’s involvement, Sony have their first critical hit in the Spider-Man franchise in well over a decade. They’re also on track to make a sizable amount of money, with the movie having opened huge around the world this past weekend. For Marvel, their track-record is intact and they’re set to make a killing on merchandising.

The other great thing about the pairing between Sony and Marvel is that Spider-Man now exists in the vast world of the MCU. Not only did this connection allow the character to cameo in Captain America: Civil War, but the entire plot of Homecoming jumps off from previous events in the MCU. While this allows Spidey to interact with a larger world, it also lets various threads from past films inform the plot of Homecoming and push the narrative forward. One way this manifested is with tons of Easter eggs, but even some of the smaller moments could have larger ramifications in the future.

Despite all the Easter eggs uncovered in the film so far, a Reddit user managed to discover one that hasn’t made the rounds yet. And while it’s a brief moment, it’s a fascinating insight into the MCU as a whole. During the scene where Peter and May go for Thai food, an establishing shot outside the restaurant offers a glimpse at the business next door. Though the main text on the window is in Korean, the English translation underneath says “Korean Church of Asgard.”

Given that every piece of a film like this is planned, this window decal was something thought out by those involved with Homecoming. And while it could just be a fun nod to the larger MCU, it brings up an interesting point about the nature of Norse mythology in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For generations, the stories of Thor, Loki, Odin, and others informed the Norse people. As American Gods keenly demonstrated, it’s one of many religions that hasn’t maintained a following as its been transformed into simple stories. Those same stories would eventually influence Marvel to create their versions of the heroes and villains, who in the MCU are presented as advanced aliens who actually inspired Norse mythology in the first place. Of course, the average citizen of Earth doesn’t know that.

With most world religions involving the worship of figures that may or may not have existed long ago, how would people react if Thor and Loki suddenly appeared in the modern day wielding unfathomable powers? Again, this tidbit may never be explored further in the MCU, but it’s fun to imagine churches dedicated to Asgard popping up all over the planet. If nothing else, it just shows how much dedication the minds behind Spider-Man: Homecoming put into the film.